


Bunny Fangs

by ladyoneill



Series: Lady O's Teen Wolf Bingo Stories [23]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst, Arranged Marriage, De-Aged Derek Hale, Kid Fic, M/M, Mating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-29
Updated: 2013-12-29
Packaged: 2018-01-06 13:25:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1107383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyoneill/pseuds/ladyoneill
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>At first three year old Derek is adorable but having another kid, one with all his own memories, wears on the Pack, particularly after a possible alliance fails because he's three.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bunny Fangs

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the hurt/comfort bingo prompt "de-age" and, hey, there's a de-aged Derek Hale tag. This went from being light and silly to pretty darn angsty and there are references to Derek needing to take a mate and start having cubs as well as basically arranged or political marriages.

"Look at those adorable little bunny teeth and that adorable mop of hair," Stiles coos, reaching out to ruffle the hair a top the little boy's head.

The little boy flashes bright blue eyes at him, growls, and lashes out with claws.

"OW!"

Peter snorts and chides, "Stiles, stop teasing my nephew."

"Scold _him_! He's the one that clawed me, little barbarian." Cradling his bleeding hand, he glowers at the approximately three year old Derek.

"You suck," Derek lisps around fangs too big for his little mouth.

"How come he can shift?"

Shrugging, Peter closes one moldering tome and reaches for another one. "How come he's now three? All that matters is restoring him to normal."

"Yeah." Derek sticks his tongue out at Stiles, then plops down next to truly three year old Lily and promptly steals the car she's playing with. She hits him.

"Jesus, I didn't sign up for twins," Stiles complains as he drops down next to the two battling toddlers and pries them apart.

"Daddy," Lily wails, crying big, fake tears. "Unca Derek's mean."

"She should share," Derek protests, pouting.

"Jesus, that lip, kid." Stiles can feel a headache starting as he soothes Lily, finds her a new toy, scowls at Derek who scowls back, then runs the car over Stiles' bare foot with werewolf strength. Biting back a curse, he rubs his toes. "You'd think he didn't like me." 

"Well, this is probably your fault. You've been messing around at the Nemeton, don't deny it."

Stiles now scowls at Peter who just gives him back an indulgent look before returning to his books. Down the hall, a tiny wail starts, signaling that their younger daughter is awake from her nap and demanding attention, and, sighing, Stiles points fingers at both the toddlers, warning them to play nice, before limping out of the sitting room.

*****

A week later it's not as funny. Derek knows he's not a child. He has all his memories, but his instincts are those of a three year old. He wants to play, pouts a lot, throws temper tantrums, and doesn't want to take naps or eat vegetables. His frustration at knowing all this is wrong makes the whole household tense.

Feeling guilty, Stiles spends more time with him than with his own daughters. Lily acts out worse than when her own sister was born, and Zoe is petulant and clingy. Peter's research time is throttled back when a Pack visits from Utah and there are protocols to be observed and negotiations for a treaty to allow one of their own to attend the community college for two years. Peter's not happy that his second is unavailable, no matter that at these things Derek mostly stands there scowling and brooding.

It all comes to a head the day after the other Pack leaves a bit disgruntled. While the treaty for the young man to attend school was no problem, the visiting Alpha's daughter wanted to meet Derek. It was obvious that she and her father were interested in a longer term alliance. The Utah Pack was large, established, and peaceful.

"We need to fix this now," Peter growls at his mate.

Stiles snaps back, "I've been trying, and don't put the blame on me about some failed possible marriage alliance. You know Derek's not going to go for that."

"Derek will do as he's told."

Rolling his eyes, Stiles snorts. "Yeah, he's going to take a mate just because you tell him to."

"He knows his duty to this Pack. At least he won't be petulant and bratty about mating."

The implication is clear as glass and Stiles feels his face heating up. "You son of a bitch. You didn't even _ask_ me!" Anger blazing in him, Stiles turns to storm out of their sitting room, only nearly to trip over Derek who has snuck in and is looking up at him with tear-filled eyes.

"I don't wanna get married," he wails, and Stiles shoots his mate a nasty look, before bending and carefully picking up Derek. He stopped doing this after the first day because Derek would bite in retaliation. This time he clings to Stiles' neck, slobbering into his collar.

"No one's going to make you get married, Derek."

Behind him Peter growls in frustrated annoyance.

"Uncle Peter says I have to, but I don't wanna!"

"Jesus, Peter," Stiles hisses over his shoulder as he sinks down onto the couch, cradling the sobbing little boy.

With a sigh, Peter joins them, gently stroking Derek's back. "I'm sorry, Derek. I would always talk to you first, but this is something you need to accept. We need cubs of the blood, nephew." His voice is soft, reassuring, but his words just make Derek cry harder.

"I know, I know, so why am I crying? God, Stiles, why can't I just be a kid? Why do I have to have my memories?"

Stiles gives Peter a helpless look, and his mate wraps his arms around both of them, half dragging them onto his lap.

"We'll fix this, I swear, Derek."

"If you can't, find some way to make me forget, really make me a kid." Tears drying up, Derek sniffles a few times, then drops into sleep on Stiles' shoulder without another word.

"I don't know how," Stiles whispers hollowly and feels Peter nuzzles the nape of his neck.

"We'll figure it out. We'll fix this somehow."

"He's right. It would be easier if he thought he was a kid. To have all the memories of everything that's gone so wrong in his life, but none of the coping mechanisms of an adult..." Stiles sighs softly and strokes Derek's trembling back.

"This is frustrating for all of us. I shouldn't have yelled at you, certainly not been angry at him." It's as close to an apology as Stiles is probably going to get, so he nods and turns his head to brush his lips over Peter's cheek, then he looks back at the little boy curled so trustingly on his lap.

"When we get him back to normal, please don't just order him to marry someone, Peter. He deserves better than that."

"Do you understand that we need him to make a strong alliance, that we need his cubs?"

"Yes, but let it be his choice. You got to choose, both times. Let him choose. Let Cora choose."

It's unspoken that Stiles never got to choose, but Peter's lips on the top of his head, his murmurs too low for Stiles to decipher, and his spoken, "I will," are enough to appease him.

*****

Four days later Stiles figures it out and, after dragging a petulant Derek to the Nemeton, restores him to his rightful age. The disposition stays the same.

Derek doesn't thank him, just growls at him, but Stiles can see the relief before the Beta drops to all fours and runs.

Later, as Stiles takes advantage of both his cubs being asleep by curling up on the couch with a book he's been trying to get through for the last month, Derek enters their suite and with a nod to Stiles goes to knock on the door to Peter's private study. When he's bade to enter, he doesn't close the door all the way behind him, and Stiles blatantly eavesdrops.

"So, you still pissed at Stiles?" Peter asks, his voice light yet also bearing a tiny bit of threat.

"No. I never really was. He's just so easy."

Peter snorts in agreement and Stiles makes a face. Well, one never hears good things about ones self when one eavesdrops, or so he's heard.

"I...Peter...I'm not ready."

"But you accept that some day you will need to be?"

"Yes." There's no hesitation, only reluctant acceptance. "I don't do relationships, uncle. I told you that before you took Stiles as your mate. I fuck them up. I won't...can't do that with a mate. All I ask is that you let me make the decision of when and who."

"I can give you a few more years, Derek, but we need to build the Pack with more than just mine and Stiles' cubs, and you, not just your position as second and a born Hale, are important. Through a mating with you we can gain so much."

"But...love should play a part. Mom wanted that for us. What she had. What you had with Aunt Marta."

"What I have with Stiles out of pure damn luck."

"I want that," Derek says, his voice small.

"I hope you can find it, I truly do."

Their voices drop and Stiles turns back to his book but is unable to concentrate. When Derek emerges and joins him on the couch, he's read the same sentence a dozen times at least. Setting aside the book, he's surprised when Derek curls up against him and places his head on Stiles' shoulder. Unlike most werewolves, Derek has never been particularly tactile. Lifting his arm, Stiles places it around the other man and rests his own head against Derek's.

"You okay?"

Derek nods and murmurs, "Thanks for taking care of me."

Smiling, Stiles hugs him tighter. "Well, who could resist those bunny teeth?" When Derek gives him a half-hearted growl, he chuckles and adds, "You're welcome, Derek."

End


End file.
